History of Success

Baraga Telephone Company – UP.Net is a multi-generational, family run business that began in 1908 with a fifty subscriber exchange in L’Anse and Baraga. Today the company continues to expand, offering an array of services across the Upper Peninsula and reaching into the northern Lower Peninsula through a unique partnership agreement. 

Four generations of Starks have played a role in the continuing advancement of the technology, which expanded from L’Anse and Baraga to encompass rural farm communities before further reaching to include Keweenaw Bay. In in 1988 and after acquiring several telephone exchanges in the area, they looked to the future and installed a digital switch for their more than 1,300 customers. 

With the launching of the world wide web, Baraga Telephone added dial-up internet service in 1995, expanding from Sault Ste. Marie to Ironwood, adding in Chassell and Crystal Falls. In 2000, Baraga Telephone Company – UP.Net became the first telephone company in the Upper Peninsula to offer DSL internet. 

They looked to further expand their offerings through a partnership with Peninsula Fiber Network, a 50/50 agreement with Hiawatha Communications in Munising, for long distance fiber optic networking. Today, the PFN network includes over 2,800 miles of fiber optic cable in service or under construction.  

Our Team & Technology

With offices in Baraga, Chassell, L’Anse, and Crystal Falls, UP.Net has one of the largest, most robust, and advanced privately-owned networks in the Midwest. With a team of experts and an aerial extent of nearly 19,000 square miles, we provide internet access to major corporations, universities, secondary schools, medical care facilities, and other internet service providers. 

Our installation and business teams have worked together to design, install, and maintain computer networks for US Government military facilities, primary schools, secondary schools, county government buildings, sheriff offices, public libraries, insurance companies, print and design companies, medical care facilities, lawyers, tax consultants, and thousands of residential homes. This experience shows we know what works for networks. 

We pride ourselves on the fact that we continue to learn and try new technologies as they become available in order to find new ways to help our customers and improve their services. Our staff has years of experience in computer repair, virus and spy-ware removal, server installation and maintenance, and networking. If you’re looking for a new computer, computer repair, to replace a cracked smart phone screen, or looking for help with an update or virus scan, we have technicians standing by to help. 

Business Support

We take our services beyond residential and into the business world. Whether area businesses need a simple phone or fax line or a sophisticated phone system with multiple phone sets handling multiple lines, our team of highly qualified service technicians are here to help. We keep a variety of phone systems in stock and can quickly and effectively develop a turnkey solution to meet your business needs. 

Our team goes one step further to provide support in server set-up, cloud backup, internal wiring, network security, point-of-sale systems, and hardwire or WiFi networks through reliable technology and secure connections.